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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. OASWEL'L, OF YORK, N. Y.

BED-FENCE.

SPZCIB'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,186, dated July26, 1887.

- Application filed February 9, 1 887. Serial No. 227,081. (No model.)

. device .which may be arranged in a bed longitudinally and at about thecenter, for the purpose of dividing the bed into two portions, eachbeing sufficient for a single occupant.

Itis well known that some persons have habits, such as carelesslythrowing the limbs from side to side of the bed while sleeping therein,to the discomfort of another occupant of the same bed; and it is wellknown that it is considered injndicious for persons to lie in a bedfacing each other in such relative positions that the one will inhalethe breath of the other. Furthermore, the habit of snoring is, in agreat measure, dependent upon the habit of lying upon the back. Anydevice which will contribute to the prevention of the inhalation of thebreath of a bed companion, and which will prevent a person from assumingaposition tending to produce snoring while sleeping, and which shall,without discomfort toeither of the occupants of a bed, divide said bedinto separated compartments, will possess material advantages and in agreat measure tend to the promotion of restful sleeping and more perfecthealth.

Having the above general objects in view, I

believe I am the first to produce any device which is adapted to thepurpose in view, and

' I therefore do not limit my invention to the exact constructionhereinafter described.

One of the main requisites of any device i ntended for the purpose of myinvention is that it shall be capable of use without interfering withthe make-up and construction of an ordinary double bed and withoutinterfering with the comfort. of either of two occupants of such bed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 repre sents one form of a devicecapable of performing the required functions and possessing thenecessary requisites of my invention. Fig. 2

is a transverse section of the same folded for transportion or reductionof the space occupied by the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsection of the same in position for use.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

A represents a slab or strip of any suitable material-such as, forexample, wood or paper-which strip or slab is of a length approachingthat ofthe bed in which it is usedthat is to say, the length of theentire device may be equal to or less than that of the bed. At the endsof the strip A are secured in any suitable manner flexible straps B, ofcloth or other material, and in the straps B, in this instance, I form abutton-hole, B, so that the ,straps may be connected to the mattress, orto any other convenient portion of the bed-clothing, which is providedwith a hook or button in order to retain the devicein position for use.

At each edge of the strip A are secured similar strips, 0 D,respectively, of substantially the same length as the strip A and ofadesired width. The strips 0 and D are secured by means of metallic orother hinges, O D, so that the side strips, 0 and D, may be folded flat,as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or upon each other upon the strip A,as shown in Fig. 2, or so that the free edges of said stripsv may restagainst each other, and in this manner serve to retain the strips in anelevated position. Hook-pins or other side-stri p-securing devices, 0may be employed. When thus elevated, it willbe noticed that when placedupon a mattress beneath the lower sheet, or, it may be,

upon the lower sheet of the bed-clothing, the device forms a partition,division, wall, or fence, which prevents the trespass by one occupant ofa bed 'upon the portion occupied by another. v

The device, also, in a, great measure prcvents the inhalation by oneoccupant of the breath of another when sleeping face to face, and italso will serve the purpose of preventing a person who has takenasleeping posture upon his or her side from rolling over onto his or herback, and thus in a measure is snoring avoided.

When it is not desirable to use the device, it may be laid flat, asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, when, by reason of the usual undersheetand under-comforter employed in ordinary bed-clothing, the device willin no material degree affect the comfort of the bed to the occupantsthereof.

My device is useful not only in private houses, but in hotels, wherestrangers are often compelled to jointly occupy one bed.

It is apparent that my device will perform its primary function as adivisional partition in a bed without necessarilybeing capable offolding fiat; and I therefore do not limit my invention to the provisionof hinges, and I may, when such are employed, construct them of cloth,leather, or other flexible material, as

' shown at D, Fig. 2, whereby when folded upon each other the sides willrest parallel with each other and with the slab A.

Instead of bu ttoning the straps B to the matress or to the comforter orsheet or other portion of the bed-clothing, said straps may be securedto the head and foot boards of the bed. The flexibility of the strapsand their extension beyond the fence permits this latter attachmentwithout separating the bed-clothing to an extent sufficient to admit theexternal air in a degree which will render the occupants uncomfortable IHaving described my invention, its construction and operation, what Iclaim is 1. A fence for a bed, comprising a flat base for supporting thefence upon the mattress, a portion projecting upward from the base, andattaching devices secured to the end of the base, substantially asspecified.

2. A bed-fence comprising sections, one of 35 which serves as a flatbase for supporting the fence upon the mattress, and is provided withattaching devices, and the others of which serve as anupwardly-projectingpartition, substantially as specified.

3. A bed-fence consisting of a base provided with attaching devices andfoldable side pieces connected with the base, substantially asspecified.

4-. Thebed-fence herein shown and described, which consists of the base,strip, or slab A, pr0- vided with attaching-straps B, and with thehingedside strips, 0 D. substantially as sp fied.

E. A. OAS\VELL.

Vitnesses:

Carts. WENDEHAQK, J OHN D. MoGHUcE.

